My Cruelty Free Makeup Bag

Since going veggie, in Jul;y 2016 (whoah), the natural next step was to go cruelty free with my makeup. Like a lot of other people, animal testing never really crossed my mind until this point. I’m not sure if it never crossed my mind, or if I just turned a blind eye to it because I loved buying excessive amounts of makeup. I remember, a few weeks after going veggie I bought a Mac quad and my friend made me feel really guilty. I think she was partly doing it because she didn’t think I would actually stay veggie so she was trying to wear me down. Being made to feel guilty did really make me think though. Why was I so against eating meat because I didn’t agree with killing animals, but I was happy for them to stay alive and be tortured? It doesn’t make sense does it?

Going cruelty free was one of the best things I have ever done, but just for the animals but for me. Previously, I would go into Boots or Superdrug and buy anything that would take my fancy and spend loads of money on more lipsticks that look the same, or another mascara that will make my lashes look fake. Only buying cruelty free makeup really capped my spending, as I knew that a lot of high street brands test on animals, meaning the makeup that I could buy was more expensive. This meant that if I wanted to buy something, a lot more time and thought would go into it rather than a mindless purchase.

I still find it absolutely crazy that testing on animals is still allowed, and it almost makes me feel a bit sick when I see bloggers or Youtubers raving about products which are tested on animals. It offends me more than if they were to eat a big steak in front of me. Like I mentioned before, I never used to think about it so I never knew which brands were or weren’t cruelty free, so I thought I would share a few of my current makeup bag essentials. I’ve tried lots of foundations to try and replace my beloved Mac Studio Fix, so I would love to do a few more posts on other cruelty free products I love and have used along the way, so let me know if you’d like to see them!

I’m going to talk through each of the products in the order that I use them. I’ve also added some swatches below for the swatchable items! Obviously all these products wont work for everyone, but they seem to be working for me!

Primer

Primer was one of the hardest things to find, as I was obsessed with the benefit one and I absolutely swear by primers. If I do half of my face and remember I’ve forgotten it I’ll redo my makeup otherwise all I can feel is my makeup on my face! I’ve tried tones in the last year and a bit, so I’ll talk about the other ones another time. The primer I’m currently using is the Glossier Priming Moisturiser. I was slightly sceptical about it to begin with because it felt more like a moisturiser than a primer, but it really if the two combined! It keeps my face hydrated and my makeup intact for the whole day! The packaging is also a massive selling point too, because yanno, pink.

Foundation

Foundation for a lot of people, is the…foundation of their makeup, and if that’s not right, nothing is. In the beginning I even bought a Mac foundation from Depop (it was new, don’t worry) because I couldn’t find anything good, and it’s better than buying it directly from MAC, right? What I’m loving right now is The Ordinary Coverage Foundation in 1.2Y. This is definitely the wrong colour for me, as when it’s on my hand it looks super yellow and slightly too dark, but it adapts to my face really well and you can’t tell it’s not my shade. It’s honestly one of the best foundations I’ve ever use and it’s SIX POUNDS! 600 PENNIES. SIX QUID. SIX!!!! Even if it doesn’t work on your skin, I would recommend you to at least try it!

Concealer

Concealer was a pretty easy one to figure out, and I think I might of even been using this one before I went Cruelty Free. It’s the Urban Decay Weightless Complete Coverage Concealerand I’ve gone through loads of these, and even have a mini one from Sephora for my handbag! It stays on all day, has a really good shaped applicator and a little bit really goes a long way. I’m the shade light neutral.

Powder

I was never a powder girl until a year ago when I used my friend’s Laura Mercier one. Laura Mercier is actually cruelty free, but I think I just wanted a bit of a change and tried theToo Faced Born This Way Setting Loose Powder.I think it’s slightly cheaper, and with powder I don’t mind paying a bit more anyway as it lasts for months. The only issue I have with it is getting the product out. I have to take the lid off, open the plastic lid which is attached to it then put the lid back on and shake it. It’s hard to judge how much is coming out, so sometimes you’re left with loads of powder at the top (and on your bed..).

Bronzer

Before going cruelty free I was obsessed with the Topshop bronzer in ‘Mohawk’. I find bronzers really hard to buy, as they don’t seem to show up on me very much. After lots of research I bought the Too Faced Sun Bunny Bronzerfor when I was a bridesmaid. I absolutely love it! It gives the perfect glowy tanned look, with no glitter! I just want to note, it broke while I was taking these photos, so annoying!

Blusher

I’ve never been massive on blush, I think it’s because I used to have a super red face when I was younger, and before I discovered makeup. I used to use a Mac blush, then an Illamasqua one (which I actually have a blog post on). When Glossier first launched in the UK I bought the Cloud Paint in Blush just to try something new. The first time I used it I totally overestimated how much I needed, and ended up with massively red cheeks. A little really goes a long way, and I’m glad I’ve tried it.

Eyebrows

The Sleek Brow Kit in extra dark has always been my go to product for my eyebrows. Throw in the Barry M Angled Brush and you have a match made in heaven, However, since getting a fringe and not wearing eyeliner as much I feel like filling my eyebrows looks a bit too bold. I’ve now pretty much converted to the Glossier Boy Brow in Brown now. I first got the clear version, and to be honest, I didn’t really see the fuss in it, but now I have the brown one I totally get it! It really emphasises your natural brows and makes them look super natural!

Eye shadows

My go to eye shadows at the moment are definitely the Urban Decay Heat pallet because all of those oranges and coppers are just a total dream, and I recently bought the Kat Von D single eye shadow in Lolita because I’m so obsessed with the Lolita lipsticks! I have a few more cruelty free eye shadow pallets, but I will share them with you another day!

Eyeliner

I shop around for eyeliners a lot, and it used to be the main part of my makeup routine. Recently, I’ve been wearing less and less of it though which is crazy for me, as I couldn’t go without it before! I definately feel that as I’m getting older, I’m gong for a simpler look which is actually quite nice. When I do use eyeliner, I’m using theNYX Professional Makeup Felt Tip Liner. It’s a great deep black, with the nice sized felt tip nip and doesn’t drag! The only annoying this is that it frays quite easily so you end up with little black bits on your eyelid!

Mascara

I’ve been an avid lover of the Soap And Glory Thick And Fast mascara, but recently I just fancied a change (an expensive change). I gave into the hype and bought theToo Faced Better Than Sex mascara to see what the fuss is about. I like it, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the money as the SAG can pretty much do the same thing!

I hope you enjoyed this brief look into my makeup bag, and please let me know if you’d like to see some more of my cruelty free favourites!